Bronze Warriors and Unsettled Seas

We are headed to the Straits of Messina. The sea has kicked up and the boat rides the rise and fall of the sea. The waves push against the bow of the boat and when the timing is right can drench the front of the boat. A few of the crew get unsettled stomachs, but nothing a few pills can’t fix. We spend the next couple of days pushing our way through it all and decide to tie up at Reggio di Calabria, a port right in the Straits of Messina. We hear there is a wonderful archeological museum. We are not disappointed. It has a fine collection of Greek pottery and small bronze religious symbols. But the heart of the museum are two larger than life bronze statues. And I have to say they are the finest examples of classical Greek sculpture. The detail and craftsmanship on these two pieces is just breathtaking. Every vain, every toenail, every muscle is articulated in a way that can only be described as masterful. While the figures are cast in bronze, there are other metals inlayed to give even a more real quality to the pieces. Lips are tinted red, the teeth are white, nipples bronze all come together to express the idealized male form so important to Greek art. What is fascinating to me is that you could take these figures from the 5th century BC and match them to any Abercrombie and Finch male model today. Not much has changed in 7 thousand years.

The next day we head to one of my favorite ports, Tropea. It is that storybook town built on the very top of sheer cliffs where the foundations of the building seem to melt right into the sandstone cliffs. Everything about this port seems to have been placed in perfect harmony with the surrounding area. The 200 steps it takes to get up to the town makes you work for your reward. It is also the departing port for my crew. The next day they take trains to Naples and Rome to catch their flights back home. We have been a good crew and I will miss their spirit, friendship and helpfulness. In a couple of days, my friend Kip comes from San Francisco to join me. Ryan comes later in the week. I keep myself busy taking time for things that I have been putting off. I remember also to take some time off in the late afternoon to go to the nearby beaches. On my way back through the city of Tropea, I notice there are huge crowds all lining the streets. It looks like a parade is about to take place. I melt into the sidelines and wait. Sure enough the procession marches towards us. This seems to be a religious event. There are small groups of about 10 people representing every church in the town. All of them are catholic and all have their own unique robes on. Most have a white smock and then a colorful shawl over their shoulders. Gold lame, shades of blue, royal reds trimmed in gold, white with black trim yellows and all kinds of bright colorful fabrics. I think I like the bright magenta ones the best with their square hats and a puff ball on top all matching of course. At the end of the church delegations, all the priests from the town walk in one group. They are followed by a huge painting of the Virgin Mary in a silver frame complete with a candelabra on each side. It looks quite heave as the 6 or 8 guys that are shouldering the weight struggle by me. There is one guy singing into a microphone some religious song. Occasionally the crowd sings back to him a line from the hymn. After the religious section passes, the dignitaries from the town pass. I think the mayor is the one with the green/white and red sash running across his chest. Next the police force, followed by the boy scouts. And at the very end, a marching band, probably from the local high school. I have no idea what the celebration is about, but that night the sky is lit up with fireworks bursting into blossoms.